Press Release

AIT Unveils American Shelf in Taoyuan

The Public Affairs Section of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taoyuan County Government unveiled an American Shelf in Taoyuan County on December 9, 2008.

Taoyuan County Government Secretary General Hsu Yu-Ning, Education Department Director-General Chang Ming-Wen, and AIT Public Affairs Officer Thomas Hodges jointly hosted the opening ceremony in the Taoyuan County English Village. Hodges said, "The latest of AIT's American Shelves, in Taoyuan County, is the perfect complement to our projects elsewhere in Taiwan. We are especially pleased to be part of Taoyuan County's innovative 'English Village' program."

Located in the Chungli Village and Happy English Village, the American Shelf program provides students of the two English villages direct access to resources on the United States, including materials for understanding American culture and society, and the study and teaching of English.

Under the partnership between AIT and the Taoyuan County Government, AIT will purchase new books, pamphlets, and DVDs for inclusion in the American Shelf's collection on selected topics, including American culture, history, English teaching, geography, and materials on democracy.

Since the opening of AIT's first American Shelf in Kaohsiung Public Library in July 2008, AIT has teamed up with local partners to set up American Shelves in Ilan City Public Library and onboard the "Hope for Future" bookmobiles of the CommonWealth Magazine Education Foundation.